


What's in a Name

by Enigel



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:44:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3117197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigel/pseuds/Enigel





	What's in a Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sandrine Shaw (Sandrine)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandrine/gifts).



"Sgt 32557038, Barnes, James Buchanan, unit 107..."

He becomes aware of speaking the words before he can think of why. Name, rank, unit. Standard interrogation response: focus on them, give the enemy nothing to hook into. They already have you, you can give them your name and rank over and over; you're already gone; doesn't matter, as long as you don't give them anything else.

"...Barnes, James Buchanan..."

The name feels alien to him, but it's as good a name as any. Except that these interrogators don't seem angry. They seem... pleased.

"Yeah, buddy, that's you. That's your name," the nearest one says, and he doesn't look like any interrogator he remembers. (Remembers? Imagines?) "But it's not what friends called you. Do you remember what we called you?"

The name slips away from him; it hits him that he doesn't have any other name to give. His vision blurs, there's a noise in his ears like drums and cold howling wind. 'Bucky! Hang on! Grab my hand!' the man in front of him screams.

'Who the hell is Bucky?' he wants to say. But the room is silent, he's clutching the other man's hand in his, and all he hears is a hoarse whisper: "Stevie?"

"Yeah, that's me," the other says, sounding relieved, and happy, and ever so slightly shaky. "Welcome back... jerk."

He stares, uncomprehending. The man - Steve? - has a soft expression on his face, his eyes are shining. His hand is warm and strong.

"I guess you don't remember that yet. You're, um, supposed to say 'punk'," he explains, and his look of awkward hope feels familiar.

Bucky lets go of his hand, slowly, looking over Steve's features. He knows he knows him, and he knows the names, they just don't seem to add up together.

"Were you... smaller?" Bucky asks. He realises the question sounds dumb even as he asks it, but he doesn't quite care. He doesn't feel like he cares about anything at all, except maybe for the mystery of the man in front of him.

And now the man laughs, he realises he knows the man's laughter, too. He doesn't seem to be laughing at him, though. No. Bucky suddenly _knows_ , Steve doesn't laugh unkindly at anyone at all.

"There aren't many people still around who remember me like that," Steve says. Then he looks straight into Bucky's eyes. "I'm so glad you are."


End file.
